Model engineering
Model Engineering is the hobby of constructing machines in miniature. There is some debate about the appropriateness of the term. Some say that all 'engineers' should be professionally qualified as such; however, the historic meaning of 'engineer' is one who constructs or tends engines, and as such is a fitting epithet for those who make working models as a hobby. In the United States, the term home shop machinist is often used.
The 'classic' areas of interest are live steam models (typically steam locomotives, stationary engines and traction engines, internal combustion engines, and clock making. Other popular subjects are Stirling engines, miniature machine tools and ornamental turning.
Model engineers typically produce models made in metal. These are machined from stock metal and castings. The model engineer usually purchases commercially available drawings which are used as reference to make the models. However some people produce their own drawings, or even work without drawings. There are some complete kits available, but these are limited in the choice of subject matter and are usually expensive.
Model Engineering Kits
These fall into two categories. Machined kits or Unmachined kits. The unmachined kits often consist of drawings, castings, stock metal and all the necessary nuts, bolts and other fixings necessary to complete the model. They require machining facilities to complete. Typically this will include a lathe, drilling machine and possibly a milling machine. A good level of knowledge about machining is necessary to successfully complete these kits. Machined kits are a set of parts that are fully machined and only require finishing with hand tools, painting, etc. Workshop machinery is not required. The kit will typically contain all the parts necessary to complete the kit, including all fixings, pressure gauges and other steam fittings, etc. These kits require a lot less work than an unmachined kit, but are very expensive. Availability tends to be limited as productions runs are small due to the high price.
Suppliers of Unmachined kits
Stuart Model Engineering [1]
Suppliers of machined kits
Polly Model Engineering [2]
Modelworks International [3]
Some hobbyists create their own web pages so they can share their experiences of building the model. http://www.wakelin.org/polly
http://www.britanniabuilder.co.uk
Model engineers
Historically, some of the leading names in the hobby have been those who encourage others through their writings, notably Edgar T. Westbury, "LBSC" (Lillian "Curly" Lawrence), Martin Evans and "Tubal Cain" (Tom D. Walshaw).
The quality of work of some modern proponents of the hobby is astonishing, foremost among living model engineers are Cherry Hill, Gerald Wingrove and Barry Jordan.
Tools
Tools used for model engineering include the Lathe, the mill, the Shaper, and the drill press.